Margaret Bennett played by Briony Behetts

Episodes 1 - 66

Margaret Bennett is the mother of Lisa and Sonny. Her husband died when the children were young, plunging the family into despair. Determined to care for his mother and sister, Sonny went of the rails, he became the protector of the house and was constantly in trouble. This led him to be placed in a detention centre as a child and then on to jail. Lisa, is Sonny's opposite. Kind, warm, caring, intelligent; she and Margaret are very close and have a good relationship. Margaret is a well like member of Westside and when she has a cancer scare the community rallies around her. However, this changes when she meets Sam Bulmer. A dodgy character whom no-one really likes. He has a shady past and whilst living in Marge's house, he tries to rape Lisa. She fights him off and tells Margaret what he has tried to do. Margaret loves Sam and refuses to believe Lisa.

Later, when Sarah McKillop is raped and murdered, Sam is taken in for questioning. Nothing is proven but the residents of E Street suspect Sam is guilty. Margaret again takes him back into the house and he fools her with his charm. On the night of Lisa's engagement party to Chris, Lisa is raped. She doesn't turn to Margaret and undergoes hypnotherapy with Elly Fielding. Margaret witnesses the treatment and is devastated to when Lisa reveals she was raped by Sam. Blaming herself for not listening to her daughter, Margaret plots to kill the man who has ruined Lisa's life. She bakes Sam a cake and fills it with rat poison. After one mouthful he has a cardiac arrest and dies. Margaret doesn't deny the murder and calls the police to confess all. Despite efforts to save her from a jail sentence, Margaret shows no remorse and says she did it because she feared Sam would get away with killing Sarah and raping Lisa. Margaret was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 8 years in prison. Lisa was devastated but Marge told her she must get on with her life. Margaret reappeared a while later as Lisa and the newly released Sonny visited her in jail. Looking older and wiser, Margaret warned Lisa that she could see noting but hatred in Sonny's eyes. How right she was.